


FFXIV Write September 2019

by Panda_Valentine



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 05:56:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 15,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panda_Valentine/pseuds/Panda_Valentine
Summary: I took part in YEAR 3 of Sea Wolf Coast to Coast's annual FFXIV 30 Day Writing Challenge.https://sea-wolf-coast-to-coast.tumblr.com/post/187061915162/ffxivwrite2019These are my entries.I did not do any of the extra credit days, so the missing days are missing on purpose.





	1. Prompt 1: Voracious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Timeline

“More cake, dear?” Dulia-Chai giggled, watching the delicate little drahn practically inhale an almond cookie.

“Pasta, that is what she needs.” Chai-Nuzz explained to those sitting at the table with great wisdom and aplomb. “Risotto al Nero, good stick to the ribs sort of food.”

Dainty nodded eagerly either way, draining her cup of espresso con panna in four gulps.

Alphinaud watched Dainty eat with a mixture of concern and slight amusement on his pointed features.

Ryne and the Crystal Exarch both swore that the _change_ in Dainty was purely cosmetic, that her aether really was restored to absolute normal, but it was times like that that Alphinaud wasn’t entire sure about that.

She had always enjoyed her food and drink. It made perfect sense given how active she was a battle honed Warrior of 80th Rank that she would need far more sustenance than her delicate form would suggest to compensate for her aetherical expenditures.

But Dainty’s appetite now seemed to have trebled since her appearance had come to so drastically resemble a Sin Eater.

The residents of Eulmore gave the bone white skinned woman not even a second glance. Having lived alongside Sin Eaters for many years while Vauthry sat in control of the glittering city a drahn who happened to look startlingly like a sin eater was little cause for alarm.

“Can I eat this?” Dainty asked, politely, pointing to the platter of fruit on the table. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was solely decorative but that papaya was calling her name if it was edible.

“Oh, yes! Do!” Dulia-Chai enthused and beamed as Dainty tucked in with voracious abandon. Dulia-Chai was happy to provide Dainty with all the food and drink that the milk white skinned woman could desire. Anything for the woman her adored Alphinaud had described as “family in all but name.”

Dulia-Chai’s twinkling blue eyes landed on Alphinaud with a fond expression; “And more sweets for my sweet?”


	2. Prompt #2: Bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

“Good afternoon, travelers, how may…Marques!”

It was unusual for the soft spoken Father Iliud of the Church of Adama Landama to exclaim vocally but the appearance of an old friend drew the startled greeting from the old priest.

“Hello, Father.” The handsome, white haired man smiled gently in greeting as he raised one hand.

Father Iliud was to be found at the altar of the humble Church, however he was alone at that moment. Normally one, or other of the devotees of their Faith were also to be found indoors, completing tasks or reading from their books of sermons.

Esmour, in particular, was rarely seen without a tome in his hands.

“And Miss Baneberry too. Welcome, children. Welcome. Have you come to pray?” Iliud was almost more surprised to see the slender Au Ra than he was to see the man formerly known as Marques.

Word of Miss Dainty Baneberry’s many exploits had reached even their quiet little hamlet.

Not but yesterday Sister Airell had over heard a family speaking of the Primal Garuda having been defeated. They had come to lay fresh flowers on the grave of a relative slain by the worshipers of that aether greedy false god and the topic of Garuda’s demise at the hands of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn was fresh on their lips.

“I thought I might see to that window, now that I’ve a moment” Marques, better known as Cid Garlond, observed giving a little nod to the window at the back of the church.

It had been broken in a nasty storm and the hinges were completely useless. A heavy apothecary cabinet had been half set in front of it to prevent drafts only that was only moderately successful.

“Well, now, there is no need for that. One or other of us will see to it, by and by.” Father Iluid deferred, well aware that Cid and Dainty had far, far more important things to be doing that fixing windows.

“Or now. By me.” Cid replied, giving Dainty a little wave forwards.

Silent, as was her nature, she strode forwards towards Father Iluid, and presented him with a package of sweet biscuits.

The same kind his daughter in law had used to make. The ones that made the kitchen smell so wonderful when his son had still been alive.

She carried also a skein of milk and drew him too one of the pews to sit and share the simple repast with her with a gentle grip of his cassock. 

“You are a kind soul, yet I am sure the others would appreciate such generosity more than I.” Father Iluid insisted softly. “Perhaps you might dispense them to those in the Lichyard?”

Dainty spoke not, she tended to be stoic, and quiet allowing those around her to do most of the talking. "Marques" instantly picked up her slack;

“You sit down with Dainty and have a break, Father Iluid. I will have this window right in two jiffies.”

The thickly built Garlean man instantly set to moving the cabinet, refusing to be put off the task as equally as Iluid refused to take a moment to rest.

Dainty’s little hand moved to the old priests sleeve, giving a swift tug that unbalanced him and set him quite firmly on his rump on the pew beside her. The scales on her wrists faintly shimmering in the late afternoon sunshine that streamed in through the windows as her hand remained in place.

If he thought to rise he would find himself without the ability to do so.

She might be delicate in appearance but her slender form belied a strength to rival Hydaelyn herself, for it was from the Mother Crystal it sprang.

Father Iliud realized the utter futility in attempting negotiations with a woman who argued with things far more terrifying than old Hyur priests... and won.

Iluid accepted a sweet, finally, and a skein of milk to wash it down with a soft:

“Thank you.”

Dainty gave a little smile and respectful nod, finally returning her hand to her lap.

Cid gave a little chuckle, seeing that Dainty had the situation well in hand. This was the reason he had asked her in particular to come with him that day, rather than Biggs, or Wedge who would have been eager to help him fix any odds and ends around the church.

Unlike his shop hands, or Cid himself, who could be distracted with idyll chatter or talked out of his good intentions the intractable Dainty was impossible to bargain with.


	3. Prompt #3: Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Calamity, pre A Realm Reborn Timeline

“She is not injured, at least not in body. Her memories are lost and her mind is gone.”

It sounded so simple.

As if the experiences and recollections that made her who she was as a being could be set down in an inconvenient location, like a pocket watch, or a spoon.

The grey haired Elezen chirurgeon who spoke these words looked up at the tall Roegadyn pair who had come to the infirmary to inquire after the “small scaled girl from the boat.”

For want of any other interesting scenery, the amnesiac woman did as the chirurgeon did, to peep up at the pair with large magenta eyes framed with orange limbal rings.

They were different looking from the other Roegadyn she had seen so far, all of which had green, or lavender shaded skin with pale eyes. This pair had ocher and tan skin and dark eyes.

Some bit of knowledge that had not been lost to almost drowning told her it was due to the fact that they hailed from the Hellsguard clan, not the Seawolf clan of Roegadyn.

“Nonsense.” Joyful River stated calmly, setting no store by these words. She might not have had the chirurgeon's fancy Ishgardian training but she had birthed 6 children and raised 13 more by way of adoption.

She had also buried 2 husbands and a brother.

There wasn’t an injury or malady she had not seen in her life by now and was respected as a prolific folk healer. Or she had been, until her hands took to aching too much to make the potions she was once known for.

“Mam, this is the little girl wot dragged me out the ocean.” Laughing Coeurl, the youngest of her true-born children explained, his deep booming voice entirely too loud for the somber, quiet infirmary and he was given several disapproving looks from those gathered within.

Joyful River looked at the much smaller being, momentarily wondering how on earth such a small, slender thing had managed to pull the mammoth Laughing Coeurl to shore after the boat they were both traveling on was sunk.

Eyes, pretty and full of life, glinted with what Joyful River recognized as awareness. The girl knew she was being spoken to but not what was being said, any fool could see that and Joyful River was no fool.

The Chirurgeon however, sniffed disdainfully, seeing that the scaled woman still did not speak;

“As I said, her memory is lost and her mind is gone.”

“No. She pulled me'n 5 others from th'sea. People who've lost their wits don’t go ‘round rescuin' folks wot can’t swim!” Laughing Coeurl insisted forcefully, again entirely too loud for the location.

“You hush up now, son, and let yer mama handle this.” Joyful River scolded before her thick, sensuous mouth formed a gentle and reassuring smile and she kneeled down at the bedside of the silent girl. She could only imagine how her 7 feet 2 inches of height must seem unfathomably tall to the small, pale, scaled being sitting on the infirmary cot. “Ye poor dainty little thing. What ye’ve lost is yer language. A little of yer mother tongue ought bring it all back back right quick though. Where did ye say her sort of peoples hailed from, Laughing Couerl?”

“The Far East, Mama.”

In a soft, faltering voice Joyful River introduced herself in a language that she believed to be Doman. She did not fully speak it herself but one of the children she had raised to adulthood had taught her a few words of the language of their birth. What little they remembered after fleeing Imperial Occupation anyway.

This instantly lit up those unusual eyes with intelligence, and recognition.

“Aaaah. She speaks not an Eorzean tongue. I confess, that had not occurred to me.” The chirurgeon observed and Laughing Couerl gave a whoop of delight.

His Mama always was so smart. He just knew if anyone could reach the girl it was his Mama.

“I think… I remember… my Common Tongue now.”

The voice was soft, dulcet and hesitant. Exactly like what one might expect of a young girl.

“That’ll happen in th'days'n years wot follow. Tis th'oddest of things wot makes a soul remember themselves after a trauma like yers.” Joyful River offered in a comforting voice. “And now I can thank ye properly f'saving this fool-headed son o'mine!”

A little frown puckered the girls’s brow as she considered Laughing Couerl;

“I … do not… seem to recall where I learned how to swim.”

“T'will come, in time. Don’t stress nuthin’ bout it now. In the meantime, wots says you come on home with Laughing Couerl and I? Free up a hospital bed fer th'good Healers.”

“If she has no objections I cannot imagine anyone here would.” the Chirurgeon observed, not that anyone asked him.

“Was I… traveling alone? On the boat?” 

“You did appear t'be, Miss.” Laughing Coeurl nodded. He had observed her before storm had struck and sent the vessel upon which they traveled to its doom, noting that it was unusual to see her people outside of the Eastern region they hailed from. The much larger adult males occasionally popped up as sailors but a small, seemingly juvenile female was rare enough to provoke comment and take notice of.

Some instinct told her that she had been alone although she knew not from where it came from. Only that the idea of going with Joyful River and Laughing Coeurl and not being alone anymore sounded like a pleasant change from what the status quo had been.

Even if she could not remember why.

“I will come.”

“Good! We’ll have you full of Mam’s best soup and a proper nights rest in no time!” Laughing Coeurl enthused. Loudly.

“In the meantime, you’ll need a name since I’ve little doubt you’ve not th'faintest clue of yer own.” Joyful River offered, regarding the slender woman who began to rise. As Joyful River was a Roegadyn it was a name that followed the conventions of her peoples that occurred to her first. “Hows about… Dainty?”


	4. Prompt #4: Passing Blame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Time Line

An expression of pain hovered in the Crystal Exarch’s red eyes as he beheld the woman sitting patiently in the ocular. The blue glow of the Crystal Towers cerulean hued walls painted her skin in the pale shades of an early morning sky.

Despite the fact that he knew that the woman was Dainty it was hard not to feel as though he was looking at a stranger. She retained her form as an Au Ra yet hair that should have been softly braided and mint green was now sharply spiked and pure white.

Her eyes, normally dark magenta with bright orange limbal rings were now such a curiously endless shade of dark grape purple that they seemed black and the limbal rings were pure white. These were attended by yellow markings that matched the faint gold sheen her pale scales had acquired.

Her skin, normally a beautifully sun-kissed tan, had turned the same awful white shade of her hair.

In almost all ways what had been a pretty, if unusually tall Raen Au Ra had taken on the appearance of a Sin Eater, most notably baring a strong resemblance to a Forgiven Obscenity.

Given how frequently Dainty cursed and said vulgar things this felt horrifyingly appropriate.

“Perhaps… if you could tell me again… how this happened?” the Crystal Exarch suggested, struggling to keep the futility from his tone.

“This is all my fault.” Ryne fretted, deep regret in her voice and looking on the edge of tears.

“It was not.” Thancred muttered tersely from the corner.

Ryne looked down, sadly;

“I’m so sorry, Dainty.”

“You may pass your feelings of blame directly to whom they belong.” Y’Shtola reminded Ryne boldly, the full skirt of her dark robe swishing as she gave a gesture. “T’was not you who discovered she could change her hair and eye colour at will. T’was not you who decided doing so was an amusing trick. T’was not you who proceeded to do so, while creeping up on the Oracle of Light, in attempt to terrify a small child. Was it? Dainty?”

Dainty grinned, white lips pulling back to show her teeth and utterly unrepentant.

“You gotta admit, hearing Ryne shriek like that was really quite funny.”

“…and that is when Ryne got startled, there was a flash of light and then….this?” the Crystal Exarch frowned, taking in Dainty’s Sin Eater like form.

“I just don’t understand.” Ryne complained, anxious, holding one hand very near to Dainty for the 3rd time that afternoon. Her pale eyes closed, and head slightly bowed as she once again assessed the woman’s aether. “It’s fine. Your aether is fine. It feels as it did after we defeated Hades.”

She did not need to do so, having already investigated any potential changes in Dainty twice over but it was comforting to Ryne to know that, no matter how Dainty looked, the Au Ra really was fine.

Even the repeated trips into the Empty had done nothing to rekindle the corruption of Light within Dainty’s life-force as best Ryne could tell. And Ryne, the Oracle of Light, was uniquely equipped to make such a statement.

“I confess, I see no changes to Dainty’s aether, not even the veriest, nascent beginnings of an unbalance, let alone a full corruption.” Y’Shtola agreed having been summoned by the Crystal Exarch after Thancred and Ryne had arrived with Dainty in tow.

“It’s all my fault.” Ryne cried and buried her face in her hands, half breaking down before, in three quick steps, Thancred was across the room to rest a gentle hand on her head.

“You would be better spent getting me sandwich than having a cry.” Dainty informed Ryne with a characteristically unsympathetic laugh. She never did have much time for people’s tears. “And a nice tart, while you’re at it.”

Thancred gave her a glare for being so seemingly heartless but Dainty merely shrugged at him, cold and stoic to her very core. “What? I am fully to blame for this, she’ll figure it out sooner or later, but I fail to see why I have to listen to caterwauling while she does.”

“Hmph. Come on, Ryne. There’s nothing more to be gained here.” Thancred snorted, unimpressed and led the girl out with a gentle guiding hand, ignoring her soft protests of;

“but…maybe I could….”

It was only as the door closed behind them that Dainty’s smirk dropped, all laughter dying from her eyes in an instant and a soft vulnerability transforming her features.

Her seeming callousness about the situation had been an act, feigned for Ryne’s benefit to reassure the young girl that Dainty was unconcerned about the change that had occurred to her physical appearance.

If Dainty had let any of her true desire to despair at what had happened show Ryne would have been utterly inconsolable, instead of being able to hold her tears while a solution was proposed.

Y’Shtola, having guessed Dainty’s act now moved closer, as did the Crystal Exarch. He kneeled down to look into Dainty’s eyes, seeing the fragility behind her stoicism.

“Are you quite certain you cannot simply…. change back?”

Dainty shook her head, something akin to fear playing in her dark eyes with their now pale white limbal rings;

“I tried too, G’raha, I really did.”


	5. Prompt #5: Vault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heavensward Timeline

If her body was a temple, then her heart was a vault at its deepest, most guarded core; and her scales were the glittering offerings that adorned the walls.

Cid pressed his lips gently to the soft, round curve of Dainty’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of her lifes blood beneath her soft skin. Fast asleep in his arms the Au Ra did not stir.

He hadn’t expected this.

When she had approached him with eyes full of lust and a down right hungry smile on her mouth he hadn’t expected intimacy.

There was a difference between sex and intimacy, and while they could go hand in hand, sex was not always intimacy and intimacy was not always sex.

The thing about people who kept their hearts under lock and key was that they didn’t tend to be comfortable with the level of vulnerability that intimacy took. 

He knew damn well Dainty hated to feel vulnerable, so for her to curl up in his embrace so trustingly, and sleep so deeply was a privilege that Cid had never, ever thought to be granted.

Even if was only for just one night. Even if she never did it again. Even if she had done it unthinkingly, unaware of just what her certainty that she was safe with him meant to a pure blooded Garlean who was once loyal to the Empire.

Even if her sole motivation was the fact that she could no longer keep her eyes open for even an ilm;

He would forever cherish being loaned the key to the vault that was Dainty’s heart.


	6. Prompt #6: First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

Accepting that her memories were never coming back.

That was the first step in deciding what to do with the rest of her life and frankly, she didn’t want to do it.

Limsa Lominsa’s Tempest Gate loomed before her.

Dainty’s magenta eyes with their curious orange limbal rings beheld the place she knew in name only.

The city was a lattice work of iron and wood bridges and white stone buildings spread out across many small islands, connecting each in a filigree of commerce and trade.

Having only ever read about the City in books Dainty felt she understood now how Limsa Lominsa had eared herself the the name the “Navigator’s Veil” from traveling bards who had witnessed the city’s beauty from afar.

Uncertainty roiled in Dainty’s stomach as powerfully as the seas roiled around Limsa Lominsa’s many shorelines.

She didn’t want to present herself for training at the Marauders Guild. She wanted a hot bowl of Joyful River’s best soup and to be tucked into her nice warm bed.

Perhaps if she just waited a little longer…it had only been 5 years, maybe if she just didn’t take those first steps through the city’s stone corridors, her memories would finally return.

Why would tomorrow be any different from today? - Dainty sighed, shielding her eyes from the sun, the heavy weight of a simple woodsman’s axe at her back.

Despite her mind being devoid of memories, but her muscles were not. 

It had only taken lifting an axe to chop fire wood for instincts she had not even known she possessed to come flooding back and her combat skills with the rudimentary weapon had shocked even her adopted mother, Joyful River, into silence.

There was no denying that no matter who, or what she had been in the past Dainty had once been heavily combat trained.

And with the revelation came the ability to earn money as an Adventurer but for that, she needed to unlock more of her weapon skills.

If her adopted brother, Laughing Coeurl was to be believed, the Marauders Guild in Limsa Lominsa was the prime place in all of Eorzea to begin such training.

To begin means accepting that I must relearn what I had once already known… because what I had once known… is never coming back – Dainty admitted to herself, feet still feeling rooted in place on the uneven white cobblestone steps that lead the bridge into the city proper.

Just take those first steps. Surely tis better to do so than …. not?


	7. Prompt #7: Forgiven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Timeline

“Prithee, forgive me. I will never lie to you again.”

“Alright. You are forgiven. Let's go.”

Dainty heard the poorly concealed little snort behind her from Y’Shtola but ignored it to offer Urianger a small smile and nod.

No doubt the miqo’te Black Mage would find opportunity to express her disapproval of how quickly Dainty had forgiven Urianger his indiscretions.  
Dainty was correct for almost instantly Y’Shtola drew to her side with an accusatory expression in her light-less grey eyes;

“Are you certain it is so wise to be quite so free with your forgiveness in this instance, Dainty?”

It was no trifling matter that Urianger had lied about; foreseeing the deaths of the Scions to a person and setting them all dancing on a path to prevent that future based on his untrue vision.

“Perhaps not but what good would it serve for me to withhold it?” Dainty retorted, one mint green eyebrow arching over her magenta and orange eyes.

They would get no where if 2 of their order were at war with one another.

A small smirk curled up the right corner of her lips. “Besides who hasn’t lied to me at some time or another by now?”

“I have never!” Y’Shtola declared, offended and her tail fluffing tellingly.

“No, but you have concealed things for supposedly my own good. Or told me things on a need to know basis.” Dainty tossed her hair and gave a little shrugging gesture. “Deny Urianger your forgiveness, if you please but question me not upon how I dispense mine when you have enjoyed it before this day.”

Y’Shtola looked like she wanted to say something more but Dainty had made it clear to do so was utterly pointless.

Urianger was forgiven his lies. All else was irrelevant.


	8. Prompt #9: Hesitate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heavensward Timeline

He ran his hands up the sides of her legs slowly, feeling the warmth of her skin contrasting with the cooler, slightly sharper texture of her scales.

Dainty made a little noise of, what he hoped, was encouragement.

He paused there, though, until she fully opened her eyes and looked at him.

Those magenta orbs with their softly glowing, candle light orange limbal rings and framed by heavy black lashes. He would never not be fascinated by them, and by the way they held his blue eyes so fearlessly.

“Go on then, Cid.” Dainty purred as his hands lingered at her thighs but did not continue up to her hips.

Cid grinned, stroking skin over skin to find the sharp points of her hip bones before leaning in for a kiss.

It had not been a lack of desire that had caused him to hesitate but rather an instinctive need to reassure himself that his touch was as welcome that morning as it had been the night before.

He would never wish to assume upon her favours.


	9. Prompt #10: Foster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Calamity, pre A Realm Reborn Timeline

In her life time Joyful River had had what she felt the be the unparalleled privilege of raising 13 foster children to adulthood.

People called her selfless and brave, but she felt that it was the children, not her, that deserved such praise. So many of them had come from truly horrifying backgrounds.

More than one had been sold into and rescued from slavery. Another handful had come to her small home near the Moraby Drydocks by way of their homeland falling to Imperial Occupation by the Garlean Empire.

Others were school friends of her children whose own parents had chosen to prioritize their own pleasures over raising their child.

Some way or some how all children in need of a home found their way to Joyful River.

It was this wealth of experience with foster children that led Joyful River to the conclusion that her newest child, Dainty, was in fact not one.

Certainly the diminutive Au Ra looked tiny and childlike to the Roegadyn family, yet there was a maturity to her actions and mannerisms that seemed to indicate she was already fully an adult when her memory was lost.

Despite this Joyful River made certain to perform for Dainty the same small gestures that she performed for all her foster children.

Since the Au Ra remembered precious little there was little point in making a memorial, or having a funeral for her family, as Joyful River did for those who came to her by way of parental death.

A welcoming celebration, however, with food and cake could be performed. This date could then serve as Dainty's name day since she could not remember her true one. 

Questions regarding her favorite food was greeted with a look of confusion by Dainty, who simply did not recall but Joyful River had yet to meet someone who did not like chocolate cake and miq’kabobs.

“Hoooo! You are in for a treat, Dainty!” Laughing Coeurl bellowed, seating himself at the kitchen table. He had two volume settings; loud and louder. 

Miq’kabobs were his favorite leading him to speak on the loudest setting possible.

Dainty did not speak as she took her place at the table beside Laughing Coeurl.

She did not speak very much at all. Joyful River had fostered and raised children that were quiet, and shy both due to natural inclination or due to intense trauma, so this was nothing new.

Dainty’s quietness seemed more a deliberate choice in response to Laughing Coeurl’s over-whelming noise, rather than being something caused by her amnesia to Joyful River’s eyes however.

It was this sort of calm, conscientious behavior that lent Joyful River to suspect that Dainty was older than they had assumed.


	10. Prompt #11: Snuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

“Sister Laurel, rough and tough, was very fond of taking snuff.” Dainty muttered in a sing-song manner to herself as she tied her laces.

“What was that?” Thancred questioned with a little frown. His pale hair flopped into his grey eyes as he looked at the Au Ra Warrior that Minfilia believed could slay the Primal Ifrit.

It was not his nature to question Minfilia, especially when it came to those who bore the Echo but it was hard for the Rogue to imagine that such a finely built, delicate little thing had the ability to deal a killing blow to a Primal.

He had never been to the Far East but from the stories he had heard from the sailors that he plumped for information at Louisoix's direction he could easier picture Dainty as a Geisha in silks than a Warrior in leathers.

Yet there she sat, diligently lacing her undeniably leather boots all the way up to her thighs and affixing the simple armor at her hips and knees and elbows.

She couldn’t afford any better and the Scions couldn’t offer much in the way of assistance there.

“Tis naught.” Dainty shook her head, as usual she spoke very little, and refrained from extrapolating. She spoke in clipped, educated tones that were ever so slightly tempered with a Lominsan accent, suggesting that where-ever she had come from before arriving in Eorzea it had been a place where they spoke very eloquently.

Thancred was again reminded of someone who had been a performer, or entertainer of some kind.

Or perhaps even a noble born.

Someone who had been given elocution lessons at the very least.

It was a silly phrase, and something she often said to herself when she was trying to conceal her nerves. Like one might whistle a jaunty tone to pretend that ought was amiss.

Thanks to her amnesia that had never been reconciled in her mind she could not say from where she knew the rhyme. Only that it had not been taught to her by her adopted Roegadyn family.

“Sister Laurel, rough and tough, was very fond of taking snuff.

She never missed the opportunity, to partake before the clergy and community.”

Dainty’s head shot up, surprised to hear the second line of the poem drop so easily from Thancred’s lips;

“How the Seven Hells do you know of that?”

Thancred’s brow creased deeply as he looked at the Au Ra curiously and with a healthy dose of suspicion.

“Given that the full poem was taught to me by a former Imperial, and tis only those what once served in the Garlean Army who I’ve ever known to be familiar with it, Dainty, I believe the real question is; how the Seven Hells do you know of it?”


	11. Prompt #12: Fingers Crossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Calamity, pre A Realm Reborn Timeline

Joyful River looked at her “children” with a mixture of long suffering and amusement.

This was rendered easier than normal to do for the simple fact that Dainty was sitting on Laughing Couerl.

So much larger was the young Roegadyn man that his adopted auri sister could perch quite comfortably on just one of his broad shoulders with her legs delicately crossed one over the other.

So good was Laughing Coeurl’s balance and steady his gait from many years working on a fishing vessel that Dainty did not even need to hold on. Her own balance equal to that of Laughing Coeurl’s although from where she had acquired it, it was impossible to judge.

“You’re t’go directly to Limsa Lominsa, deliver the smoked fish to Wawalago at the Fishermens guild and return home with nowt stops. De ye ken?”

“Yes, Mama.” Laughing Coeurl agreed, hands resting lightly behind his back as he listened obediently to his Mother. Dainty’s were laid gracefully in her lap, not visible to Joyful River from that angle. 

“Yes..Mama.” Dainty added similarly, with just a slight pause to her words.

She was not truly comfortable calling Joyful River her mother, for all they knew Dainty might have been older than Joyful River! That was the tricky thing about amnesia, no one could truly say.

Yet Joyful River had asked to be addressed as such and it was so small a request, Dainty felt, given all that the Roegadyn woman had done for her. Given her a roof over her head, a warm bed to sleep in, meals to fill her belly thrice over. Even her very name had been given to her by Joyful River.

How could she possibly deny the woman when it was so easy to simply say “Mama” instead of Joyful River. It was just words, after all. Even if Dainty didn’t really mean it, it was not difficult to say and brought such a smile to Joyful River’s kind, calm features.

“Why don’t I believe ye in th’slightest?” Joyful River asked with a slight exasperation to her tone.

“Couldn’t possibly say, Mama.” Laughing Coeurl offered innocently.

“I’m sure ye can’t.” Joyful River returned, deadpan.

The fact that the pair of them had been hustling travelers for coin along the roads from Moraby Drydocks to Limsa Lominsa had everything to do with how little Joyful River believed her children.

It was a very simple scam, and relied entirely on the fact that people, especially men, tended to assume that Dainty was vulnerable child when first looking at her.

Even Joyful River had described her as a “poor wee dainty thing” upon their very first introduction.

Dainty, who proved to be a skillful actress to boot, would hunker down a little way removed from the road and cry, claiming to any who stopped to check on her that she had lost her way.

Those that genuinely tried to help point her in the direction of home were thanked, and left to continue on unmolested.

Those that attempted to take advantage of her, or lure her to a different location where a young girl, lost and alone, could be easily preyed upon quickly found themselves on the business end of Laughing Coeurl’s fishing trident.

A few choice words about their morals and the removal of their valuables soon reminded them not to be sleazy.

“Will ye at least promise t’behave yerselves?” Joyful River asked, handing Laughing Couerl the package at long last. 

It was neatly wrapped in heavy butchers paper but even that couldn’t prevent the delicious scent of smoked halibut reaching Dainty’s nose, perched as she was on Laughing Coeurl’s shoulder.

“Yes, Mama.” Dainty and Laughing Coeurl both vowed, most diligently.

“Off ye go then.” Joyful River sighed, and turned to attend to the dishes from making breakfast that morning.

Laughing Coeurl and Dainty paused until she had departed to the other room, then slyly showed the other their hands to reveal a very significant thing.

Both had kept their fingers crossed.


	12. Prompt #13: Wax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stormblood Timeline

“It always surprises me…” Cid murmured, voice dark with lust as his fingertips teased erotic little circles on the scales at Dainty’s hips. “…that you’re not into more kink than you are.”

“Mmmm oh? Am I too boring for you?” The auri woman in his bed teased, giving a little squirm against his touches as his thumbs hitched her panties down just a little.

Dainty’s tone of voice made it very clear she knew he had no complaints about their trysts. Especially not this time.

Normally they were rather harried, finding only a few precious moments to be together before the Ironworks were calling for him and the Scions were calling for her

Savoring and enjoying one another, letting foreplay progress slowly was a rare treat that neither was inclined to complain about in the slightest.

“Never.” Cid promised, and emphasized his point by pressing a line of kisses from her taut, flat belly up over her sternum, between the valley of her breasts, across the sensitive filigree of scales at her throat and ending on her pouted mouth.

What was meant to be a quick, teasing kiss quickly became far more involved than Cid had planned, Dainty’s hands clutching at his shoulders.

It wasn’t until they had had to part for breath that Dainty reminded Cid of his own words as his mouth again found the scales at her neck hotly, painting them in kisses.

“So why the..hmm… question as to… my kinks? Have you one…you’d like to…share with me?” Dainty gasped a little, squirming against the rising heat.

“Perhaps?” Cid murmured against her skin. “Tis not my thing, per-say but given how you quite like your pleasure with a side of pain I just thought it was curious you weren’t into something like spanking, or wax play.”

“Wax…play?” Dainty echoed sounding so genuinely confused that Cid felt compelled to lift his face from her neck to look at her with a little frown.

Surely a woman who had traveled as extensively as she had would be familiar with such a thing, yet he could see from the look in her eyes that she wasn’t.

Cid sat back on his heels a little, instantly distracted from their lazy flirtation by the sharing of knowledge, his white hair flopping into his bright blue Garlean eyes a little.

Dainty had run her hands through it several times and it was all tussled.

“Tis… well.. .they make candles, you see, that melt at a much lower temperature. And from what I understand tis usually paired with a body oil massage. The oil acting as an additional layer of protection on the skin. Then the wax is dripped onto the skin so that you get the sensation of burning without the wax actually being hot enough to cause lasting damage.” Cid explained.

Dainty’s magenta and orange limbal ringed eyes instantly lit up, raising herself up on her elbows a little too look at him with a rather enthusiastic and naughty smile.

“This is something you’ve done?”

Her tone of voice was entirely eager and Cid found himself flattered that she so instantly trusted him in this hypothetical scenario.

“No.” Cid admitted. “Although I have read about it before.”

“Clearly I’ve been reading the wrong things!”

“The Scions give you time to read?” Cid quipped and coaxed a laugh from Dainty;

“We both know they most certainly do not!”


	13. Prompt #14: Scour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Timeline

The water of the bath was well past warm and had progressed to almost skin singing levels of hot.  
Dainty noticed little, however, slightly wishing that the heat would melt her skin entirely off.

Looking down at her hand below the surface of the water, the ripples on the surface doing little to disguise the achingly white colour of her flesh.

With a little snort of annoyance Dainty reached for a wash cloth and dunked it into the bathwater before drawing the square of fabric up her skin.

The texture of the braided cloth was harsh against her tender skin and Dainty did nothing to soften its passage via use of soap, or using less pressure.

If anything she pressed harder upon feeling its roughness, as if she could use it to scour the chalk tones from her dermis.

As if she were a stained saucepan that needed only to be scraped and abraded by a strong hand to restore it to what it ought to have been.

Her skin remained resolutely white, however, no matter how hot the water and matter how harshly she scrubbed.


	14. Prompt 16: Jitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stormblood TImeline

Kozakura stood on the wooden bridge that led from the Enclave Demese to the One Garden, casting her dark eyes out over the waters of the One River.

Despite the fact that she was waiting for a friend she could not help but jitter.

After all, it was not every day that one attempted to revive a religious rite brutally restricted from your peoples by their former occupiers.

Nor was it every day that the Savior of Doma, Khaghan of the Azim Steppe and, by Eorzean custom, the Warrior of Light, asks you to meet her boyfriend.

Not boyfriend – Kozakura reminded herself. Dainty hadn’t used the word boyfriend but she had requested permission to bring someone “very special” to the tento-okuri, and added it would mean a lot to him to see the Doman peoples celebrating in a traditional way.

Dainty had insisted too that Kozakura must see this very special someone for herself, and judge if he would be welcome at the tento-okuri. And if Kozakura felt it best he ought not be there, then there would be no hard feelings on Dainty’s part.

Thinking over this exchange gave Kozakura a flutter in her stomach of trepidation and a touch of flattery.

She struggled to think of anyone that Dainty could introduce her to that it would be inappropriate to bring to the lantern lighting. The Kami themselves would smile fondly on any that Dainty held to be “very special” surely!

Kozukura was also deeply flattered to be trusted by the Savior of Doma so freely.

She was half vibrating out of her skin by the time the small skiff came into sight. It skirted the edge of the enclave, rather than making landing at the ferry dock before being carefully steered to the bridge where Kozakura was waiting.

By the light of the many lanterns in Doman Enclave Kozakura could see that the skiff contained only two bodies.

The small, slender and instantly recognizable form of Dainty, now dressed in a pretty white ao dai and a much taller, broader figure that Kozakura could deduce at once was a white haired man.

There was a low, gently slanted stone wall that was flanked by a tall fence by the bridge where the occupants of the small boat could easily climb up onto solid land without anyone being the wiser as to their arrival.

Despite wanting to jitter herself into a bundle of nerves Koakura waited patiently, the slight breeze messing her dark hair a little. It did the same for the white hair of the tall, broad shouldered man who climbed up easily from the skiff.

As he brushed the bone white locks from his blue eyes Kozakura felt her own dark orbs widen in disbelief.

Those blue eyes.

Such an instantly recognizable shade.

A shade possessed most commonly by pure blooded Garleans.

A bolt of horror ran through Kozakura as Dainty joined her very special person on solid ground, tying the skiff to the bridge quickly for later departure before shooting the white haired man a sweet smile.

The third eye at his forehead was hidden by a pair of blue lensed craftsman’s goggles but even still Kozakura had no doubt she was looking at a pureblooded Garlean.

One who was “very special” to the Savior of Doma.  
A title she earned by saving it from the Garleans.

How could Dainty, of all people, possibly stand there with an expression of affection and care, for a Garlean?

There were no words for the evil those people had inflicted upon the lands.

The Doman teenager felt her mouth open and close several times, her traditional manners at war with her desire to voice how utterly offensive this was to her and her peoples.

“Kozakura, this is Cid Garlond, of the Garlond Ironworks. Likely you’ve heard of the company?” Dainty suggested gently, seeing Kozakura’s overwhelmed and shocked expression and able to take something of a guess at the emotions Kozakura must be feeling.

Kami forfend, I am a fool! - Kozakura gasped ungracefully.

“Oh!… Oh yes! I… of course…. a pleasure to meet you.” Kozakura babbled, bowing. Aghast no longer at Dainty but at herself for so instantly assuming the man a Monster solely because he was a Garlean.

Of course she knew that name, they all did.

Not only had he been instrumental in instructing Lord Alphinaud how to bring down the Magitek barriers around the Doman Palace when it had still stood but his people were currently aiding Lord Hien in erecting a barrier at the border of Doman territory and that which could still be accessed by Imperial Forces.

His name was one that she had heard by the occupying Imperial Army once upon a time too. Most notably when referencing treachery, and those who were Traitors.

By their telling of it, and Kozakura had no cause to disbelieve it, the man had “betrayed” the Empire at just 29 years old. Fully defecting to Eorzea, and throwing his lot with her peoples ever since.

Peoples like Dainty, apparently.

“I am deeply moved by the invitation to your tento-okuri, Miss Kozakura.” the so named Cid Garlond offered in respectful tones. “However if my presence is likely to cause offense, please do not…”

“You are most welcome here, sir.” Kozakura insisted firmly. “Any friend of Dainty is a friend of the Enclave.”

Dainty smiled, again shooting her companion a sweet smile and taking one of his much larger hands with her small scaled ones.

“See, I told you it would be fine.”

“So you did.” Cid agreed and in the light of the lanterns Kozakura could see his hands were shaking ever so slightly.

Her heart strings tweaked just a little to see that he had had the jitters to come just as badly as she had had the jitters waiting for them to arrive.


	15. Prompt #17: Obeisant

As had been the way since an unfortunate incident with the Oracle of Light had turned her skin pure white the glow of the Crystal Tower painted Dainty’s skin in vivid sky-blue tones.

The owner of the Tower (or perhaps the tower owned him he was never entirely sure) gave the two women awaiting him at the entrance to the tower a welcoming smile.

Lyna saluted and withdrew, having performed her task of delivering Dainty to the Crystal Exarch’s side.

As a consequence of the fact that Dainty strongly resembled a Sin Eater she tended to end up with an escort when moving about the Crystarium. The guards, and those that knew her well automatically doing so in order to aid her passage, lest her visage frighten the refugees of Sin Eater attacks that now lived in the City.

Dainty affected a pretty Eastern bow, learned in Kugane, but her tone was entirely irreverent as she spoke;

“A delight to see you, your Exarchness.”

It was a very neat bow, hands resting on her thighs and head fully inclined to her shoes, eyes closed as if in reverence.

Her action of obeisance drew not a sense of pride or vanity from the Crystal Exarch but instead a desire to bop her on the top of her head with his staff for her devilry.

This was her rebellion, since she was not to refer to him by his given name when in the company of someone who was not a Warrior of Darkness and Lyna was standing only a few steps away.

“That is entirely unnecessary.” He muttered mostly to himself, made uncomfortable by the behavior from one that he admired so intensely, despite the fact that she was entirely joking.

“Pray do not upset thineself, Exarch. Dainty has yet to give any man, woman, child or beast her true reverence and this day shalt not incline her to start.” The 4th of their party, a tall, Elezen man with grey hair a neatly trimmed beard observed.

“Of this I am keenly aware, yet I thank you for the reminder, Urianger.” The Crystal Exarch returned from within the folds of his ornate cloak before giving a gesture. “Shall we proceed in?”

“Why not? Can’t poke n’prod at my aether out here, can we?” Dainty retorted, her voice just a whisker sharper than it needed to be. 

“Thou shalt behave herself, or thou shalt do without mine ginger cookies.” Urianger swiftly threatened, thinking they would not manage to delve far into this mystery if Dainty’s childish behavior continued unchecked.

He had therefore packed some of his best ginger snaps for the point of bribing the Au Ra to sit still long enough for himself and the Crystal Exarch to hopefully get to the bottom of why she currently resembled a Forgiven Obscenity.

“Ooooh, cookies?” Dainty’s eyes lit up.

She could be coerced with food and they all knew it. Dainty had no memory prior to the Calamity but there was a prevailing theory that she had likely gone hungry for an extended period of time for how highly she valued food, especially that of an exotic nature.

“Indeed. So prithee; comply.”

Dainty, being obeisant, dropped him a rather sarcastic curtsy leaving Urianger to shake his head.

Were not for the fact her appearance kept scaring the population of the First, who understandably mistook her for a Sin Eater casually strolling about the countryside, Urianger would be of a mind to leave her as they found her.

Chalk white, and pissy about it.


	16. Prompt #18: Wilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

Marques did his best not to stare at the small, pale scaled woman traveling to Coerthas with himself, Biggs, Wedge and Lord Alphinaud in hopes of retrieving his airship.

His airship.

That he had built.

It all sounded so fantastical, yet they said it with such confidence and it did go a long way to explaining why he had be able to repair a device of Garlean origin while staying at the Lichyard with Father Illuid.

His name was Cid Garlond, he had his own personal airship and the scaled woman who traveled with them was an Au Ra.

He did not mean to stare it was simply that her kind was not common in Eorzea. He was quite certain he had never seen one during his 5 year sojourn at the Church of Saint Adama Landama. If he had seen one in the period before his memory was lost he could not say but he doubted it.

Her scales had a distinct shimmer to them in the light of the campfire that kept drawing his eyes as the woman was unpacking their traveling supplies. She was doing a quick stock take of what she had been carrying when combined with what the others had had before deciding what would be most suitable for their dinner that evening.

From words spoken by Alphinaud Marques could infer that Dainty, as the woman was called, was a very, very good cook while the others could merely make do while Lord Alphinaud could not cook at all.

The others, being Biggs and Wedge, who were supposedly his best friends even if he could remember them not a whit.

“Why do you stare so?” Dainty asked bluntly, noting instantly the way the man’s blue eyes lingered on her and had done so every since they had paused their journey to make camp for the evening.

Marques blinked, then ducked his head sharply;

“I…I… apologize.”

Alphinaud had warned him that Dainty could be a little rough around the edges, especially when it came to social graces and things she could not hit with her axe.

He did not begrudge her, he had been rudely staring although he could have lived without the way she now returned the gaze unabashedly. Her eyes were large, and magenta with orange limbal rings that seemed to glow ever so faintly and they seemed to look straight through him in a discomforting way.

“I appreciate your expression of contrition, however you did not answer the question.” Dainty reminded him.

Marques noted that she spoke in an eloquent, educated manner that seemed ever so slightly familiar, although saying why with the gaping holes in his memory was utterly impossible.

“I…I was thinkin’ of… not much t'be honest and.. the way your scales glitter a whisker is somewhat mesmerizing.” Marques admitted.

Her sharp gaze instantly softened, a small, genuine smile tugging at the side of her full lips that instantly set Marques at ease.

Apparently his strange traveling companion could be easily placated with flattery.

Funny, the nuns at the Lichyard tended to be the same.- Marques recalled, although failed to extrapolate from there that it was his flattery that was the common denominator, assuming it was merely a trait shared by that particular handful of women.

“Do you want to help me make a Quiche Lorraine?” Dainty offered. “We’ve all the ingredients for it and it should make a nice change from the endless stews the fellows claim to have eaten.”

Marques felt his eyes stray to where Biggs and Wedge were setting up the tents for the evening with rather inept assistance from Lord Alphinaud.

“I’ve not much skill in the culinary arts but I would be glad to assist.”

Something to take his mind of the many questions rattling around in his head would be nice, if he was honest.

“It is easy. I only need you to wash the spinach, then wilt it over the flames” Dainty replied simply, offering him a large handful of wild picked spinach and a saucepan from her small collection of provisions.

“Er…wilt?” Marques echoed taking the objects she offered skeptically.

His skill level topped out at a similar level to Biggs and Wedge, which was to throw everything into a pot, cover it with water and come back in 4 hours after the magic had happened and it turned into stew.

“You’ll figure it out.” Dainty retorted, leaving the white haired man momentarily nonplussed as she busied herself with the task of making a simple hot water crust pastry for the base of the quiche.

To wilt is to sag. Flowers wilt when its hot. Heat the spinach until it…wilts – Marques rationalized and as this theorem seemed as good as any other, he set about doing just that.


	17. Prompt #19: Radiant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unspecified/ What If/ Some Future Timeline

“Chief. No.”

Cid looked away from his reflection to the large, green skinned Roegadyn man who was patiently, if slightly exasperatedly, scolding him for his appearance.

“What?” Cid frowned, looking away from Biggs to the mirror again.

He had thought he looked rather good.

Redolent Rose had truly outdone himself with how flatteringly the finery fit Cid’s muscular, Garlean form.

As a busy Engineer who was constantly on the go Cid tended to live in roomy, comfortable attire that wouldn’t restrict his movements. He tended to hold the opinion that a tailored suit was much akin to a straight jacket for how tight and binding they were.

He was reassessing that belief after being clad in this one, however. The fabric looked so stiff and formal yet was entirely soft and supple against his body.

He rather felt that he looked damn good and was somewhat starting to see what Dainty saw in him, if he was honest.

“You can’t wear those.” Biggs groused, reaching for the blue lensed aviator goggles at Cid’s forehead.

“I can bloody too.” Cid laughed and quickly ducked out of Biggs’ range.

This was not the first time Biggs had suggested that perhaps to googles were not appropriate attire for that evening’s events, although this was the first time Biggs had attempted to fully remove them himself.

“It’s not appropriate.” Wedge scolded from the corner, standing on a chair so that he could see into the mirror himself. Like Cid and Biggs he was attired in well fitted formal evening wear, although Cid’s outfit was slightly more elaborate than their own, featuring full tails on his embellished dress coat.

“Sure it is. I know this one.” Cid retorted with a large grin, proud of himself. Everything had been a whirl-wind of Eorzean customs that he was unfamiliar with, even after having lived in the realm for a very long time.

It was his first, and he assumed, his last time ever participating in this particular type of ceremony so he could be forgiven for not knowing all the particulars and precise details.

He knew, however, that there was a protocol at play here and that it was he who was in the right.

“Something old.” Cid recited, pointing to the chain at his heck that he yet wore.  


“Something new.” He gestured to his suit.

“Something borrowed.” This was accompanied by pointing at Biggs and Wedge themselves, since they were technically on loan from their duties at the Garlond Ironworks.

“Something blue!” Cid finished, and pointed to his goggles triumphantly.

“That is only for the briii ii…” Wedge’s mouth fell open, words utterly gone, looking passed Cid to the vision in white that had appeared in the doorway.

Cid turned to look at whatever had caused Wedge’s expression of utter reverence, and was promptly struck dumb himself.

Any and all argument about his goggles was instantly forgotten as Cid stared at Dainty as gormlessly as she was staring at him.

“Pretty, ain’t she?” Tartaru grinned, clad in a pretty gown of coral herself the colour was ever-so-flattering with her lilac hair.

Pretty was a Hells of an understatement in Cid’s opinion. She was utterly radiant.

Her mint green hair, dressed in pink roses and a full length impossibly delicate lace veil seemed even shinier and silkier than usual.

Her dress was as well tailored as Cid’s suit and clung to her slender form exquisitely, a filigree of lace, twills and fine, lace thin platinum jewelry. Sparrows at her hips held perfectly sculpted lily’s, both of which were symbols of love, and represented a blessing for their union.

He had seen wedding dresses before, there was only one type in Eorzea as traditional held that this particular style was granted to the women of the realm by Menphina herself when she became the divine lover of Oschon.

To wear anything else was to invite nothing short of tragedy and ruin, although most brides did some customization with choice of jewelry, shoes, and how their wore their hair.

Some even dyed their gowns in shades of gemstones.

Somehow seeing a wedding dress on a model utterly failed to prepare Cid for seeing one on Dainty.

In full white with the longest train and veil possible the Au Ra had gone as traditional as could be allowed and the effect was both stunning and awe inspiring.

“Are you ready to go?” Dainty asked softly, her bouquet of delicate pink old roses held gently in one hand and reaching out with the other for her Groom.

She was so painfully beautiful it took Cid a couple moments to cross the room and take her hand, beaming down at his bride, utterly enraptured and completely forgetting that anyone else even existed.

“Alright, you two, enough making eyes at each other. Let’s get this wedding going!” Tartaru insisted, rounding up her charges, determined to escort them to the Sanctum of the Twelve to be wed come Hells or High-water. “Come on, Biggs, come on, Wedge! You two lay bouts have to escort me, remember? The ceremony will not start late if this receptionist has anything to do about it!”

Dainty hadn’t asked her to be a Bridesmaid solely because of their deep and long-lasting friendship, after all.

Dainty giggled, interlacing her fingers with Cid’s and using her other hand to hold both her small old rose bouquet and the hem of her gown to walk.

She glanced at him sweetly from the corner of her magenta and orange limbal ringed eyes.

“What?” Cid provoked softly, noting her rather impish little smile out of the corner of his Garlean blue eyes.

“I was just thinking…” Dainty offered. “… that I am so very glad you wore your goggles.”

“Of course I did.” Cid insisted proudly and with a defiant little look thrown at Biggs’ back as they traversed the length of the hallways towards the altar room. “After all, tis the bride who gave them to me.”


	18. Prompt #20 : Bisect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Calamity, pre A Realm Reborn Timeline

The weight of the axe felt good in her hands.

Comforting.

Familiar.

And it was such a simple thing to raise it high above her head and bring it down upon the block of wood, neatly bisecting it to go into the flame fed ovens of her “Mama”.

The muscle memory of having used an axe in this manner countless times before remained with Dainty, even if her memories prior to a year ago were completely blank.

Yet certain small instincts, and a certain sense of rightness and wrongness remained.

When she looked at the simple handle and unadorned axe-head of the weapon she wielded there was a certain sense of something missing. If she concentrated very hard she could almost…almost picture a very different sort of axe in her hands.

One with a red handle and a decorative, yet lethal curved head.

Or perhaps she was merely getting confused, having read about something similar in the books that Laughing Coeurl brought home for her from the Far East.

He was convinced that was from where she hailed, and traded frequently with his fellow sailors for any trinkets or tomes that might spark a moment of recognition in his adopted sister.

“I love watchin’ ye do that.” Laughing Coeurl commented with a grin as he set another log onto the chopping block for Dainty to bisect in one fluid motion.

She did so neatly, with no wasted effort, or extraneous movement.

Whoever, or whatever she had been it was someone who was trained with an axe.

Laughing Coeurl set up another log, and Dainty took care of it as she had several other so far. The pair of them working their way through the large stack that had finished drying out and was now ready for use.

As usual she did not speak. She oft found that in the presence of Laughing Coeurl she had very little to say that he had not already said.

He was so loud all of the time and even when she was asked a direct question she often found herself struggling for an answer.

People asked where she was from often and understandably so, Au Ra were relatively rare in Eorzea, with very few possessing enough coin to make the long boat travel from the Far Eastern lands from whence her kind hailed.

Those that did have the coin were generally disinclined to travel to the lands of Aldenard or Vylbrand by Laughing Coeurl’s telling of it.

A sailor by trade he was much more extensively traveled than his Mother despite being only 19 summers of age.

Yet Dainty could not answer that question, as she simply did not know.

Frankly, she wondered where she was from as much as the strangers she met did.


	19. Prompt #21: Crunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

The feathered armor of the Primal being known as Garuda, Lady of the Storms made a really annoying noise against her axe.

Or perhaps it was it was her axe against the armor that made the noise.

Dainty cared not to debate such trivialities with something she needed to kill.

All she really cared about was getting Garuda to shut the Seven Hells up. Between the cackling and the wet sounding crunch noise emanating through Dainty’s cranial projections she was getting a right head ache.

The Reckoning comes! - Garuda shrieked, performing a massive vertical leap that prevented Dainty from finding a killing blow.

“No it sodding doesn’t.” Dainty grumbled and ducked behind one of the stone pillars, almost lazily and half reclining on it while she waited for Garuda to descend.

The Au Ra warrior was getting close however, that last crunch had been a bit more of a glorp, which meant Dainty’s axe had found purchase through Garuda’s armor and was starting to do damage to the Primal’s mortal form.

This wasn’t her first time fighting the Lady of the Storms.

That was the problem with being one of the tiny handful of people on the entire planet who possessed the Echo and was also combat trained, rather than having dedicated themselves to the scholarly arts.

Dainty wasn’t the only person with the Echo, nor the Blessing of Light but she was more or less the only one that was confident upon the field of battle.

Which meant it fell to her to take down the crystal fed, aether greedy false gods whenever the beast tribes took it into their heads to raise them.

The stone pillar gave a drawn out creak and Dainty moved away from it as it began to crumble.

Garuda landed, hee hee and haa haa'ing loudly and setting Dainty’s already hair trigger temper on edge.

Despite her stoicism on the outside it was actually a facade.

The Scions made jokes about Dainty being fueled by the terrible street vendor snacks she was constantly spending her meager gil on but what Dainty was actually powered by was rage.

It welled in her, making her eyes take on an unholy red glow and a sphere of pure blood red aether whirl around her.

_N…no…. _

This version of Garuda had realized her error now but it was entirely too late. 

Dainty’s axe whirled, coming around with the inevitability of a coal laded freight train hitting a sand bank in the Sargoli desert.

Again and again and again Dainty’s axe found purchase.

Again and again and again Garuda’s armor made that sick, sodden sounding crunch.

The rage fire in Dainty’s eyes was the last thing the Lady of the Storms saw.


	20. Prompt #23: Parched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Timeline

Dainty sat in the sun-hot desert sands of Ahm Araeng and felt rather sorry for herself.

She didn’t indulge in acts of self pity very often. It wasn’t her nature to dwell on could-have-beens or what-ifs. She was entirely too practical and remorse did little to solve whatever predicament she found herself involved in.

Therefore she did not waste her time with it.

Usually.

Today, however, she was having a good, hard wallow in her regrets at having pranked Ryne and ending up resembling a Sin Eater. Despite the best efforts of Y'shtola, Urianger, Ryne and the Crystal Exarch there was no easy explanation for her current appearance.

With no way of knowing why she looked as she did it was somewhat difficult to figure out how to undo it.

Alisaie shielded her eyes as she surveyed the bone dry, parched landscape until she spotted the small dot of white midst the tan sea of sand.

She had heard about Dainty’s change although out of respect to those recuperating at the Inn at Journey’s End Dainty had not visited the area in person. Those who had been so affected by Sin Eaters would likely be further traumatized by seeing Dainty’s currently sin eater like form.

“What do you suppose she is doing?” Ryne asked nervously, stroking her fingers through her red hair.

“I… I would suggest that she is meditating but…Dainty straight doesn’t.” Alisaie spoke with a pretty little frown that wrinkled her brow far more than a 16 year olds ought be.

“Indeed. Never hath thine companion of many summers been much inclined to quiet pursuits within her owneth mind.” Urianger observed.

“She’s sulking is what she’s doing.” Thancred offered with a shrug.

He admired Dainty as the Warrior of Light, and stood in awe of what she could do, and the sacrifices she made for the Scions, the Realm and for their very Star.

But there was no friendship lost between the Hyur and the Au Ra. As much as he respected her as a Warrior he tended to find her companionship frustrating on a social level.

The fact was that they were simply too similar. Both had very little respect for authority and were prone to dark sarcasm.

Unfortunately this led to certain incidents where Dainty mouthed back to one of the few authority figures Thancred did respect and rubbed the former Rogue turned Gunbreaker the wrong way.

Similarly Thancred had not been nearly as respectful as Dainty felt he ought to have been to people whose friendship she had come to cherish very deeply, rubbing the Warrior the wrong way.

“I…I ought go talk to her. Apologize again.” Ryne said, gathering her courage to do just that but Urianger’s gentle hand at her shoulder held her in place;

“Dainty has heard thine words of atonement, child. She desires them again naught, I assure thee.”

“But….”

“If thou feels most strongly compelled to action I might suggest thou bringeth her a drink of water. Truly she hast been sat upon these hot sands overlong for my liking.”

“Yes. Mine too. For all her strength and tenacity Dainty can get heatstroke as easily as you or I.” Alisaie agreed. “I’ve some cold milk at hand. Let me get you a skein to take to her Ryne. Dainty is fond of milk.”

“Dainty looks of milk.” Thancred quipped, earning himself a sharp look from Alisaie but a small rumble of amusement from Urianger.

It was true.  
In her current form Dainty was as pure white as a cup of the creamy beverage.

Ryne dutifully carried the drink to the Au Ra woman sitting in the sands, her approach did not take the slender Dainty by surprise despite Ryne’s light steps making no noise on the sun baked sand.

“A drink, Dainty?” Ryne offered with a smile, struggling not to give into the urge to fall over herself apologizing. Thancred, Y'Shtola and Urianger had all told her it was not necessary and she knew they were right but it didn’t feel that way when Dainty’s glowing eyes locked into her.

“I wouldn’t say no.” Dainty quirked a smile but it did not reach her eyes as she extended a hand for the skein. Her throat was quite parched, now that she thought about it.

“Are you quite certain you are ok, Dainty? Its so hot…and…and you might get heat stroke and…” Ryne’s confidence failed her as Dainty’s eyes seemed to bore through her. The dark magenta and glowing white gaze remained on Ryne’s face even as Dainty downed the cold milk in one go.

“The sun feels good on my scales, besides, my rump is quite cool, so it balances out.” Dainty offered and saw the intense confusion that writ itself instantly across Ryne’s features.

Dainty instantly thought to be sarcastic then reminded herself swiftly that the child deserved it not. It was not Ryne’s fault she had been imprisoned the day she had manifested her Oracle of Light powers, and been deeply sheltered until the day Thancred had sprung her free.

As an amnesiac Dainty had oft been scolded for not knowing things she had never been taught, or could not remember and had always vowed never to do that to another.

Dainty gave Ryne a carefree smile that reminded the girl of their time helping the Nu Mou of Pla Enni.

“Here.” Dainty patted the sand beside herself, willing to be distracted from her pity party for one by the friendly girl’s company. “Dig down about 15 ilms and see what that gets you.”

Ryne hesitated, unsure where this was going but did as directed and discovered a rather peculiar thing.

Moisture, and coolness on her fingertips.

Ahm Araeng was not quite as parched as it seemed.

“Oh! There must be a spring or something….”

“A natural aqueduct runs deep below the sands but there’s a few places where it comes close to the surface. Its why the Inn at Journey’s End remains so cool despite the desert heat. There’s not enough water flowing to support a full oasis but, its enough to keep me cool no matter how long I bake myself here.” Dainty explained then grinned. “And, the heat of the sand above it feels rather good on my damned back.”

At this the Au Ra flopped over backwards, burrowing into the hot sand and putting a wrist across her eyes with a contented noise of relaxation.

Ryne quickly settled herself with her haunches in the cool, damp sand and lay, as Dainty did, with her back in the hot baked sand.

It did feel quite pleasant she must own, even if the sun was very bright so that she was forced to close her eyes. She put an arm across her eyes to shield them further still. Even just closing them was not sufficient block the red glow.

“How did you know about the aqueduct coming to the surface just here, Dainty? Did someone tell you about it?” Ryne asked hopefully, eager to hear a story about Dainty’s many adventures on the First since the woman seemed inclined to be chatty.

“My horns. Auri…I mean… a drahns horns give them spatial awareness above and beyond most of the other races. Second only to that granted to Garlean’s by their 3rd eye.”

“Oooooh.” Ryne thought she had read that once, in one of the many, many books of Urianger’s that she would avidly bury her nose in whenever Thancred and she visited. “Hey, Dainty?”

“Yes, Ryne?”

“What’s a Garlean?”


	21. Prompt #24: Unctuous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heavensward Era

“Milala Lala.” Dainty named, taking a long pull from her flagon of ale as she rested her elbows against the rough wooden bar.

“Can’t say as I’m familiar.” Cid replied, taking a good long drink of his own.

Besides themselves and the proprietor of the Forgotten Knight, Gillibront, the bar was entirely empty.

This was unsurprising, given the advanced hour but both were still riding the high and low of defeating the Primal Bismark, losing the key to Azys Lla to a thrice-damned Ascian and Y'Shtola being pulled safely from the Atherial Sea.

A drink, or three to celebrate their successes, and curse Thordan’s name to the Keeper of the Seventh Gate had been much warranted.

Somehow this had turned into a discussion on people they had met who were oilier, smarmier bastards than would-be King Thordan.

“Yellow Jacket lass, tried to fire the Rogues guild.”

“What, all of them?”

“Uh huh. The entire outfit. An outfit sanctioned and approved by Admiral Merlwyb herself, mind you.” Dainty explained, tucking a lock of mint green hair behind one of her cranial projections.

The candle light was mirrored in the glow of her orange limbal rings in a way Cid had ever found fascinating.

Cid considered her words, and the sheer gall of the woman to attempt such a thing, conceding after a moment;

“That is going to be difficult to top but I’m going to have to go with Gaius van Baelsar.”

“Hmmm? He was a rhymes-with-hunt, to be certain but I wouldn’t call him unctuous.” Dainty mused into her drink. Urianger had taught her the word and she was fond of it, taking pains to use it in a sentence even if it might be slightly awkward to do so.

Cid didn’t comment on her use of the out-of-fashion language. 

For one thing, he quite liked Dainty and all of her quirks. 

He liked Dainty a lot, actually and he very much liked that she was not unenthusiastic about demonstrating how much she liked him when they were alone and no one was looking.

He also empathized with her amnesia deeply. They had both lost their memories in the Calamity but only his had ever returned to him.

Poking fun, even very gently, at someone trying to relearn things that had been taken from them by force was not the sort of man Cid was, or ever would be.

“You didn’t know him before, back in the days when I yet called Garlemald home. There wasn’t a member of the royal family the Black Wolf wouldn’t suck up to. Especially the Emperor. It earned him favor and accolades, I won’t deny it but it was sickening to witness.” Cid polished off his drink, then grinned at Dainty. “There’s a reason I called him a meglomaniac man-child with an inferiority complex.”

“You did? And I missed it? When?” Dainty demanded, eyes a lit with amusement.

“Long before we knew each other, Dainty. Before the Calamity even.” Cid chuckled.

“Tell me about it!” Dainty insisted.

He should have known she’d want to hear the full story.

She held a grudge like an absolute champion, even if the person she held the grudge against was long dead and by her hand.

“If you wish to hear it.” Cid agreed, setting down his cup the begin the tale. “I was all of 29 summers then, and clean shaven if you can imagine it. Young enough yet still to be called a misguided youth….”


	22. Prompt #25: Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post A Realm Reborn Timeline

_She’s asleep… Aw Hells… she’s actually asleep!_

His blue eyes widened in sheer, unbridled disbelief.

One moment she’d been laughing along with the rest of them at the Rising Stones. Gaius Baelsar and the Ultima Weapon was no more. The Twelve alone knew that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the Garlond Ironworks had much to celebrate.

Then out of no where Dainty had keeled right over against Cid Garlond’s broad side and promptly fallen deeply asleep.

“Oh look, Dozey Baneberry has elected to grace us with her narcoleptic presence.” Y'Shtola purred, deeply amused to see the delicate Raen Au Ra half draped over Cid and utterly oblivious to the turmoil she had unleashed in the Garlean man, judging by his expression.

“What did she think would happen, not bothering to get a lick of shut-eye before the operation.” Thancred shook his head, rolling gray eyes as if personally inconvenienced by Dainty’s slumber. 

“Take it as a compliment, Cid. Dainty is most discerning of whom she naps upon. So far only Urianger has ever earned such trust from her.” Papalymo added and was rewarded with a snort of laughter from his blonde, masked compaion.

“Oh and me!” Yda enthused.

“It does not count if you napped with her.” Alphinaud corrected.

“Yes it does.” Yda insisted.

The play bickering went a long way to reassuring Cid that this was quite normal behavior from Dainty and he need not worry.

In fact, buoyed by the Scions words, good humor, and the victorious tone of the evening he felt quite pleased to be napped on by the Warrior of Light.

He knew in his heart he was deserving of her trust.

There was nothing he would not do to aid her. For the Scions, for Eorzea and the very Star she had been named Champion of.

Still, it was nice to tangibly feel and hear it acknowledged that Dainty recognized him as someone trustworthy.

“Do I…Perhaps I ought…to carry her to her bed?” Cid suggested, hesitatingly and discovering he didn’t particularly want to. Which was something of a surprise to him, not realizing that he had come to value her companionship quite like that.

She was oddly soft for a battle honed Warrior. And she was very warm. Dainty had also managed to arrange herself so that none of her scales poked him unduly.

“I wouldn’t try it if I were you.” Yda advised to Cid’s relief. “She’ll only wake up, wander back out here for another drink and fall asleep on you again.”

“Truly, she has the sleeping habits of an over sugared Lalafellian child. Go, go, go, go ….sudden irrevocable unconsciousness.” Alphinaud added with a sweeping gesture that provoked laughter from the others.

“If it does not upset you so I should recommend leaving her be.” Y'Shtola offered in her gentle voice.

“I don’t mind at all.” Cid quickly assured the Scions, then glanced down at the sleeping Dainty again. His next words escaped him without him meaning them too. “… is kind of pleasant…actually.”


	23. Prompt #26: Slosh

“Feo Ul. I need you.”

For a moment Dainty had though the King of the Pixie’s too busy to heed her call but after a moment an otherwordly, pale face with impossibly large eyes, long, elfin ears and topped by a shock of flaming red hair came into Dainty’s vision.

“I’ve not a spell t'prevent wrinkly fingers, dear sapling.” Feo Ul explained, joyful yet patient. Her massive wings beating gently as she hovered in place above the drahn who was floating among the lotus blossoms.

Feo Ul regarded the mortal fondly, framed by the the clouds moving lazily across the Il Mehg’s perfect blue skies. “N'why are ye floatin’ in the water feature?”

“Hot temperatures didn’t make me feel any better, I thought something cool might and if I ever see another Fuath ever again I can’t be held liable for separating their heads from their necks.”

A large river, the home of the Fuath, ran close by. It would have been a better location for Dainty’s improptu bath were it not full of a kind of fae-kin that she strongly wished to commit genocide upon.

It was only her bond with Feo Ul, the King of the Fae, that prevented Dainty from visiting wholesale upon the Fuath the sins they had attempted against her.

“Now, now my dearest mortal. I assure ye they’ve forgotten all about trying t'drown ye.” Feo Ul explained very kindly, hovering a little closer.

“I haven’t.” Dainty made an annoyed gesture that sloshed the water in the pond in which she floated, making all the flowers around dance in the ripples.

“Foolish mortals, always holding a grudge. Life would be so much easier f'r ye if ye’d let things go once in a while.”

“Eeeeeeeh.” Dainty looked unconvinced by this.

“Would I lie to my darling sapling?” Feo Ul coaxed, her voice full of rich humor. “Its true. You might even get back t'normal.”

The currently chalk white skinned woman shot her bonded branch a filthy look at that.

She didn’t know why she resembled a Forgiven Obscenity. No one did. Not the Crystal Exarch. Not Y'Shtola. Not Ryne or Urianger and not Feo Ul either.

“I’m stuck like this forever.” Dainty sulked with a melodramatic flop of her head that made the water in the pond slosh once more.

“Of course you aren’t, precious mortal. Ye kind don’t live forever.”

“I’m starting to wonder why I called you.” Dainty snarked, relaxing from her floating position and swimming to the side of the decorative water feature.

“I were startin’ t'wonder that meself.” Feo Ul admitted, watching the white skinned drahn climbing out castle decorations.

“Oh. I remember. I wanted to ask if the Pixie’s have any special alcohol.” Dainty recalled, flipping her head upside down and ringing out her hair with her hands ungracefully.

Feo Ul shook her head, then tutted. “Heavens, let me my adorable sapling.”

It was but a moments work for her to cast a couple quick charms and spells to left Dainty completely dry once more.

“My thanks. So… booze?”

She fancied getting royally sloshed and there was very few places where she could do it without upsetting the locals thanks to her current appearance understandably upsetting them.

She did strongly resemble a nightmare that wished to turn them into mindless monsters.

The fairyfolk of Il Mheg cared little for what Dainty looked like, however. They only cared if she would play with them.

“I’m afraid not. We’re not fond o'the stuff.”

“Pity.” Dainty murmured, making as if to walk away.

“The Voeburtites left a whole cellar full of wine. Perhaps some of thatedo?”

A grin split Dainty’s white features and she turned back to look at the King over her shoulder.

“It might.”


	24. Prompt #27: Parlava

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Realm Reborn Timeline

Minfilia squinted a little through the purple tinged aether haze, watching the comings and goings.

Mor Dhona was foggy today, and thanks to the wound inflicted into the heart of Lake Silvertear by the Imperial Warship the Agrias’ violent descent, the fog was steeped in aether.

“What a mess.” the blonde mumbled softly although it was tinged with pride. The Doman refugees moving into Mor Dhona had certainly caused the Rising Stones to be in something of a state.

But the chaos meant that the desperate, stateless peoples had a place to call home once more and to Minfilia that would be worth all the mess in the world.

“Would you call it, a parlava?” A soft, slightly mockingly provocative voice offered from behind Minfilia.

Minfilia gave a tired smile, turning to look at the smirking, scaled woman.

“Why yes, Dainty. I would even call it a parlava.” Minfilia agreed lightly. Noting as she did the eye roll from her grey haired companion.

Thancred did not appreciate the lack of seriousness on Dainty’s part which he interpreted as a lack of respect for Minfilia.

By Minfilia’s orders, however, he was not at liberty to scold Dainty for it. Minfilia had stated that she was happy to be teased if it meant that the normally stoic, silent Dainty would speak even a little.

Thancred’s grey eyes instead fell on the tall Elezen man who was slowly walking to join them.

“Would you kindly desist in teaching Dainty strange words?” Thancred snipped at Urianger, unable to display his annoyance at his true target; Dainty

“Most verily I shalt not.” Urianger returned, amused and very familiar with the antagonistic dynamic between Dainty, Minfilia and Thancred.

Urianger smirked a whisker behind his aether goggles mask and took a note from Dainty’s book. Adding teasingly “Be not envious that she can pronounceth mine expanded vocubulary and thee cannot.”


	25. Prompt #28: Attune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stormblood Timeline

Cid sat with his back against the rock face, legs loosely bent up and his arms resting on his knees.

His head was slightly tipped back, regarding the huge, boulder sized shard of glowing blue aether crystal turning serenely in place.

It was such a curious thing, Cid had always thought, that his kind could be physically so strong yet completely aetherically incompetent.

Even someone like himself, who was combat trained only by sheer dint of having gone to the Magitek Academy, was leaps and bounds stronger than a comparably aged and trained Hyur, or Elezen.

Cid had no natural inclination to combat, or martial arts but he was a son of the Empire; that military power insisting all its citizens be ready to defend the Emperor in case of invasion.

Yet the simplest of aetherical manipulation was beyond him. A fire spell, childs play to even the most novice of mages, was as distant to him as the moon was.

There was a faint sound that Cid described as “warping”. A instantaneous explosion of air as a body suddenly existed where one had not been milliseconds ago.

A hopeful glint lit his blue eyes, and a smile came quickly to his mouth to see the Au Ra woman who teleported into Rhalgr’s Reach that afternoon.

He had not been waiting for her, he knew better than to do that. She came and went so erratically as the demands of being the Champion of Eorzea called her across the far reaches of their Star.

However his choice to take a quiet moment or two too himself by the Aethryte had certainly been motivated by the knowledge that, should she come to Rhalgr’s Reach, it would be by that method of travel.

“'lo, Cid.” Dainty nodded in greeting to the white haired Garlean man. His snowy locks painted cerulean blue by the glow of the Aetheryte. Her greeting was casual. One could never know who might be glancing their way.

“Hey, old friend” Cid nodded, his standard manner of playing-it-cool. He had long accepted he’d never be able to greet her with an embrace and a kiss the way he might desire too. Not until they were behind closed doors at least.

The remains of his lunch reassured Dainty instantly that Cid had not been waiting for her in particular. Something she would have scolded him for, and felt guilty about.

She also enjoyed watching aetherytes slowly turn when trying to order her thoughts, finding it somewhat similar to sitting beside running water.

“The ants are enjoying a feast, I see.” Dainty’s lip gave a bit of a curl, nodding to the dry crusts of a long since consumed sandwhich.

“Mmm.” Cid agreed, still distracted with his thoughts of all the things Garleans could do, and could not do when it came to aether. “Say, Dainty. I’ve been meaning to ask you… what does it feel like to attune to an aetheryte?”


	26. Prompt #30: Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowbringers Timeline

“I would hae told him, you know, sapling.” Feo Ul, having assumed her smaller fae form sat gently on the prone form of one incredibly drunk Warrior of Darkness.

Sitting in a dark basement for nigh on 100 years had done some amazing things to the potency of the Voeburt wine Dainty had chugged.

For a while the drahn’s intoxication had been most amusing to the King of the Fairyfolk.

Dainty was much more inclined to be playful when drunk. They had played hide and seek, and warmer colder and even ring around the rosie.

Feo Ul could not recall the last time she had had such fun with a mortal and it was her precious sapling to boot.

Dainty had been so free, and spontaneous. Laughter had echoed through the halls of Mithai Glorianda for the first time in a century.

Dainty’s gaiety had been fleeting however. Little by little a shadow had crept through her heart until she didn’t want to play anymore, and all the alcohol in the world couldn’t chase it away.

Not that she hadn’t tried. Leading to her current state of laying on the palace floor, cheek pressed against the cold marble and trying to get the world to stop spinning so horridly.

“I dun ..know… whatcher…talkin'bout.” Dainty slurred awfully, vaguely considering if bringing up her stomach full of booze would make her feel better or worse.

“Och, yes ye do. The tall one, with the white hair.” Feo Ul smiled sweetly. “The one ye won’t admit ye love.”

“Dun…love… nuffin but mself.”

Feo Ul ignored Dainty’s garbled attempt at speech, gently stroking the drahn’s pitch white hair.

“My precious, beloved, foolish sapling. D’ye not think, if ye’d succumbed t'the Light, I would no ‘ave flitted back t'ye World and told him how much ye sacrificed. N'how much ye gave.”

For several long moments the pixie wasn’t sure if the darkness of alcohol induced sleep had claimed Dainty for the woman did not move, nor speak.

After a long pause however the woman spoke softly;

“… thank you… he would have…wanted… to know.”

That was the sole admittance she would utter that there was a “he” to miss her.

_And here I thought I was the only man in your life._

Dainty gave a little snort that surprised Feo Ul.

Drunk or not, Dainty knew that smug amused voice only too well. So similar in tone it was to her own, it had passed between her lips before this day.

“….shaddup Ardbert.”

“Sapling? Who’re ye talkin’ too?”

_I couldn’t possibly stay silent when you’re having a sulk this momentous._

“M'not …sulkin’…”

“O'course ye not!”

_Can’t fool me, Dainty. We’re part of the same soul, remember? Ryne gave you a solid fright, you got reminded on your own mortality. Of how damn close to the edge you truly came. Never were a fan of that, were you. … Me either. You and I, we never were the type t'sit down and really think about how damn scared we are. _

“Wuzznt skerd. Can’t. Warriors of…Darkness…dun get… scared.”

“Well o'course they do, my silly sapling. You mortal folk are constantly going about having feelings without any regard fer the mess it sometimes causes.”

_But I think you need to, sinner. I couldn’t tell why your fear has manifest like this. Makin’ you look like a Sin Eater. Nyelbert probably could have, that elf always was terrifyingly smart. One way or another, eventually, you’re going to have to admit it;_

_You’re doing this to yourself._


End file.
